Hall of Fame baseball reporter Peter Gammons talked to Mut & Merloni Friday morning about the Red Sox and the state of baseball. Gammons called Daisuke Matsuzaka’s injury “a very strange situation.”

“If I were really cynical I would say he just made up his mind, he’s going to get his elbow cleared out, and then he’ll come back in 2013 in Japan,” Gammons said. He also said there have been communication issues and discrepancies.

“The findings in California from the doctors there, the findings in Boston, they haven’t gotten together on this yet,” Gammons said. “He had put it out in Japan that he was going to have Tommy John surgery before he even got to Los Angeles. I find it very odd. Whatever it is, it’s going to be very difficult to reconcile all this.”

Gammons said he didn’t think Matsuzaka would ever pitch for the Red Sox again.

“The player’s made up his mind he’s going to have Tommy John surgery,” Gammons said. “And if that’s the case, it’s a minimum of 15 months, so what are we talking about, August? He’s not coming back August to September next year. He’s going to go to Japan, his contract’s up at the end of next year, he can go back to Japan.”

Following are more highlights from the interview.

On Matsuzaka’s legacy:

He did help get them the World Series and pitched well in Game 3 of the World Series in Colorado. There was a time when I think he certainly brought in revenue in terms of a fascination figure. I think at times he was a pretty good pitcher, his first two years. But in the end, in terms of a six-year deal, they got about one-third of it out of him. He never performed as well as the expectations surrounding him.

I don’t think he really made a great effort to adjust to this culture. I think that was one of the problems, the communication and the adjustment to the culture, which he didn’t really go in for. One of his agents said to me, he just, he doesn’t trust people. It’s very hard to build up a relationship with a franchise if a guy doesn’t trust them.

On Matsuzaka’s initial experience with the Red Sox:

They allowed him to do everything he wanted to do at first, and it wasn’t working. I can’t think of anybody better to come to this country and work with than John Farrell. It was exasperating, him going out and throwing hard for forty minutes at 3:30 in the afternoon before a start at 7 or 8. People do have to make adjustments, and there never seemed to be a great deal of adjustment in Daisuke. It is one of those mysteries. Is it Hideki Irabu? No. Is it Jose Contreras? No. At the same time, the expectations and the reality were a couple hundred miles apart.

On Rich Hill’s injury:

I think Rich Hill is a huge loss. I thought he had become a major part of that bullpen. With that changeup he got right-handers as well as left-handers, and left-handers couldn’t do any damage against him. … This is a human game, and to me it’s a heartbreaking story, because he worked so hard to finally get to the big leagues after years of being up and down with the Cubs. He gets here, he really finds a place, a role, finds his delivery, gets all three pitches over the plate, looks like he was going to become one of the best left-handed relievers in the league, and then he hurts his elbow. It’s heartbreaking. He’s also one of the nicest people you could ever meet in your life, so it’s really disappointing. I hope that it’s not Tommy John surgery, but it certainly doesn’t sound good.

On Hill’s possible replacement:

I’m guessing it would be Tommy Hottovy, a 29-year-old guy who was at first in the organization a pretty good prospect, had Tommy John surgery, converted to a side-armer this spring in spring training, and really has been phenomenal at both Portland and Pawtucket. I don’t think left-handed hitters had a hit off him all year. … [The Red Sox] like Andrew Miller. Andrew has the opt-out on June 15, I gather they’d like him to start a couple more times before they bring him up and make the decision on him. Miller can be really dominant, and he was great in his last start. The only problem is, is it going to take him a long time to get ready? Is he going to be able to get ready in a hurry?

On Dustin Pedroia’s non-called tag out of Chicago’s Juan Pierre on Wednesday:

I was furious about it, not because it was the Red Sox, but because the idea that they don’t try and get the call right, that the ego is more important. … A bunch of umpires were saying to me that they thought Jim Joyce should have been suspended by the umpires’ union for admitting he was wrong in the [then-Tigers pitcher Armando] Galarraga case for admitting he was wrong. The point is, we’re never wrong, and we should never, ever admit we’re wrong.

That case, it was so obvious that Juan Pierre was tagged, because he flinched when Pedroia tagged him. And yet, they couldn’t get that right? There’s something wrong, and I still don’t see any administration of umpires from Major League Baseball. … To me, umpires who don’t check with one another should be fined. But it won’t happen. As long as their union is more powerful than the commissioner’s office, they’re going to be able to do what they want to do, and it doesn’t matter about the integrity or the outcome of games.

On J.D. Drew vs. Josh Reddick:

J.D., in his defense, has had some hamstring problems going back to last year. … I think Reddick is a very energetic player, he brought them some energy, and I think they were looking for that. Especially on this homestand, where they came off that road trip where they had all the rain delays, the day-night double header in Detroit. That Chicago series, the Red Sox were sleepwalking. So they thought Reddick could maybe give them a little energy. …

J.D. might hit 10 home runs in the month of June. It’s once of those things you just don’t know, but there comes a point now, where you say, “Is it going to happen?” You’ve got Reddick; you’ve got [Ryan] Kalish, who is close to their most highly regarded young player. They’re both very energetic, are they going to go and put those guys in right field. We’re also talking about the seventh or eighth spot in the order. We’re not asking Reddick or Kalish to hit third, we’re asking them to hit seventh or eighth.

On the Buster Posey-Scott Cousins collision on May 25:

I think what needs to change is the culture. I think the whole idea of, “You’ve got to block the plate,” what, to save three or four runs a year, so Buster Posey doesn’t play the rest of the year? … [Oriole] Matt Wieters is by far the best tagger in the game; it’s unbelievable how he has learned to use that style. The other thing is the sliding. We saw Pedroia twice in that last homestand score runs with catchers blocking the plate because he’s a great slider. Went around the catcher, slapped home plate.

I find sliding to be something of a lost art. You don’t see many players who are great sliders, who work at it the way Pedroia did. I just wonder if you don’t change the culture a little bit, you do a better job of base running and sliding, you do a better job just emphasizing the idea of tagging rather than trying to have a two-vehicle crash. … Watching that play over and over, I really don’t think that Scott Cousins knew what to do, because Posey was up in front of the plate, so all of a sudden he crashes into him. Posey was in a bad position to get hurt.

Interesting take from Gammons. But it should be taken for what it is, a take from a guy with very strong ties to Epstein and the organization.

I think he probably right that Dice K doesn't trust people and that would include his agent. That is why he went to Japan IMO. I think Boras was who leaked the TJ surgery story. Heyman was the first with the story. It gives Boras' client leverage because the RS do control the medical treatment to a large extent.

The RS interests and Dice K's aren't necessarily mutual at this point. Delay and rehab still leaves the RS with hope of recovering some of the balance of the salary in services.

But delay if rehab doesn't work would insure that Dice K would not be ready to pitch in 2013. While the RS don't really care how the story would impact public relations in RS Nation, an overly self interested diagnosis by their med staff doesn't do them again within the industry. Getting the story out early that the player needs TJ gives the player leverage. If the player decided to rehab it, it is a lot easier to unwind that story than it is to explain why the team is denying surgery to a player that needs it. With the track record the RS medical staff has, the later has traction.

I'll be curious to see just how far saving face on both sides will go. I am actually surprised that a determination hasn't already been announced. But not trusting the RS medical team is not all that weird and not totally trusting Boras who has strong personal definition of what is in his client's best interests is not dumb either.

DiceK should pull a Bellsbury, except he has a good reason to do so. Most Red Sox fans hate these Japenese players.Posted by SoxSoldRed

Excuse me? Ellsbury has proven his worth. Dice K was a major bust with his time spent in Boston.

Going into tonights game: Ellsbury is a career .291 hitter, 156 Stolen Bases, .346 OBP and was very good in the 2007 post season. This season he batting over .290, 20 Stolen bases and OBP over .356! He has proven his worth.

Dice K? MAJOR BUST! 49-30 career record, 4.25 ERA, 301 walk in 622.2 IP and was more or less a 5 inning starting pitcher. Last 3 seasons his ERA's were 5.76, 4.69 and 5.30!

Excuse me, since when has Bellsbury won 15 games on a team that won a rare division title. End of story. Bellsbury was a footnote on the championship team, a guy who was not part of the division title team.

He hasn't proven his worth, missing an entire season in 2010 and having to be benched for 2008 lack of confidence in the post season. He's a prima donna looking for his first big contract, and he's one of the worst everyday defensive CF'ers the Red Sox have ever had. Mike Greenwell is Ted Williams compared to Bellsbury.

Excuse me, since when has Bellsbury won 15 games on a team that one a rare division title. End of story. Bellsbury was a footnote on the championship team, a guy who was not part of the division title team. He hasn't proven his worth, missing an entire season in 2010 and having to be benched for 2008 lack of confidence in the post season. He's a prima donna looking for his first big contract, and he's one of the worst everyday defensive CF'ers the Red Sox have ever had. Mike Greenwell is Ted Williams compared to Bellsbury.Posted by SoxSoldRed

You must be Japense and can't face reality that Dice K was a mjaor bust. In 2007 he won 15 games. However, he also lost 12 games with ERA of 4.40 and 80 walks. He was over-hyped. He is also not very coachable.

You must be caucasion that can't face the fact that 15 wins was an integral part of the division and championship team. Don't be so begrudging against the Japs, and Bellsbury isn't that ood even though you love him. Bellsbury is overhyped and isn't coachable. He had to be benched for swinging for the fences, at the beginning of the year.Posted by SoxSoldRed

Dice K is not the only Japense pitcher to be over-hyped. Realty is pitchers from Japan can't pitch in the Majors. Why? Their stuff isn't that good to be honest. If you are going to scout pitchers from outside the USA, think Cuba, Mexico, Dominician Republic and etc. Stay away from Japan!

The truth always draws censorship. There is no doubt that most Red Sox fans hate Japenese players. DiceK and Oki were core members of the 2007 rare division title championship team. But guys like Wastefield and Varitick are these "gutsy great guys". What a joke!

I think there are plenty of quality Japanese pitchers through out the years, was Dice-K overpaid for his services, yes imo. Was he key to the 2007 WS in many ways, pitching and a big clutch hit. However Japanese pitchers have never reached the dominance that non-Japanese pitchers have. Maybe it the different style played in Japan or they just don't have the years of training to get them ready for MLB.

Either way I love Japan, their food, their cats and their amazing history. However the Sox should better evaluate high profile pitchers like him before signing them to such ridiculous contracts. Although, his contract opened the Japanese market to the Sox and brought in new revenue streams, so there was upside.

I think too many guys on this board over react to the production or lack there of from Japanese pitchers, while others over react to other posters' feelings towards these Japanese pitchers and take it to be racist when it probably is not. It's not like the Sox field all white players, just get over it and stop trying to judge people based of an internet post. If people are honestly racist because of this, well that is their problem and it certainly doesn't represent all or most Sox fans.

Whatever the case, I don't see a good resolution the matter. Whether he needs surgery or not, if he doesn't want to play for the team, he's not someone you want around. It sounds like there's going to be some nasty legal wrangling that I hope doesn't distract the team.

DiceK should pull a Bellsbury, except he has a good reason to do so. Most Red Sox fans hate these Japenese players.Posted by SoxSoldRed

Softy, I know this is your grenade launch de jour, but Sox fans don't complain about Matsuzaka and Okajima because of their nationality. They complain about them because of their performance. Unfairly, some times? Of course. But J.D. Drew is as white as milk and as American as apple pie, and there isn't much love for him on this board.

In Response to Re: Peter Gammons on WEEI: Daisuke Matsuzaka ‘doesn’t trust people’ : Softy, I know this is your grenade launch de jour, but Sox fans don't complain about Matsuzaka and Okajima because of their nationality. They complain about them because of their performance. Unfairly, some times? Of course. But J.D. Drew is as white as milk and as American as apple pie, and there isn't much love for him on this board.Posted by LloydDobler

Do you actually think being resonable will work with Master Softlaw, Lloyd?

The number of complainers and complaints is what defines the bigotry towards the former Japenese players. Given the treatment, every Japanese player should refuse to ever play for the Red Sox. In the case of Oki and DiceK, your best move is to leave this town that loves Wastefield and Bellsbury, and not because of their behavior or performance.

"I don't trust people either, unless I have an intimate relationship with them.I see nothing wrong with this statement."

I try to surround myself with trustworthy people, and am pleased to have many friends who I trust, and have gone thru life without being foresaken to any significant degree. Wonder how the Sox feel about being untrusted. Sorry for your situation Alibiike.

In God We Trust, In People, I verify at all times. People don't like a lot of other people for reasons that have nothing to do with merit. And that's true for all people. They never admit it because it undercuts the decisions and comments they make that involve the people they like or dislike.

I surround myself with a very few people who know the difference in wrong and right, regardless of contemporary popular opinion and laws of the day. They admit wrongful actions and comments and do not attempt to justify wrongful behavior by the number of people who engage in it. The number of people who respect the difference in wrong and right are getting smaller by the passing minute. Society has never been more decadent in every aspect of life, and it's chosen leaders reflect that fact.